1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a weather strip for providing a seal between an opening portion of a vehicle body and a closing member for closing the opening portion, such as a vehicle door, a luggage door, a sliding roof, etc.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional sealing structure between a door opening portion of a vehicle body and a vehicle door. As shown, to provide a seal between a door opening portion 10 and a vehicle door 12, a door weather strip 14 is attached to a retainer 16 provided along an outer periphery of a door frame, a glass run 18 is attached to a channel 20 provided along an inner periphery of the door frame, and a door opening trim weather strip 22 is attached to a flange 24 projecting from the door opening portion 10. The flange 24 is formed by joining end edges of an outer body panel 26 and an inner body panel 28 of the vehicle body.
The glass run 18 includes an outer side wall 30, a bottom wall 32 and an inner side wall 34, and has a generally U-shaped cross-section. When a door glass 36 is raised, an end of the door glass 36 enters the glass run 18, and is sealed with an outer seal lip 38 and an inner seal lip 40.
The door weather strip 14 attached to the outer periphery of the door 12 includes a base portion 42, a tubular seal portion 44 integrally formed on the base portion 42, and a seal lip 46. The base portion 42 is secured to the door frame by fitting the base portion 42 in the retainer 16 provided along the outer periphery of the door frame. When the door 12 is closed, the seal lip 46 contacts an outer end of the door opening portion 10 and the tubular seal portion 44 contacts a protruding part of the door opening portion 10 on the inner side of the contacting position of the seal lip 46 to provide a double seal between the door opening portion 10 and the vehicle door 12.
The door opening trim weather strip 22 attached to the flange 24 provides a seal between the door opening portion 10 and the vehicle door 12 on the inner side of the contacting position of the tubular seal portion 44 of the door weather strip 14. The door opening trim weather strip 22 includes a base portion 48 having a U-shaped cross-section and a tubular seal portion 50. The base portion 48 is attached to the flange 24 and the tubular seal portion 50 contacts a protruding part 52 of the door frame to provide a seal between the door opening portion 10 and the vehicle door 12. An insert member 54 such as a metal insert, etc. is embedded in the base portion 22, and lips are provided in the base portion 22 for holding the flange 24.
In another example shown in FIG. 2, a door opening trim weather strip 56 is attached to the flange 24 with a double-sided adhesive tape 58 (See Publications of unexamined Japanese patent applications Nos. 2002-144978, Hei6-48258, ex.). In this case, the double-sided adhesive tape 58 previously bonded to an inner surface of an outer side wall 60 of a base portion 62 is bonded to an outer surface of the flange 24 inserted in the base portion 62.
The flange 24 is formed by spot-welding of a plurality of body panels. Due to spot welding, concaved parts are formed in surfaces of the flange 24. In addition, the body panels forming the flange 24 may have notches, and the number of the body panels forming the flange 24 differs according to the position in the door opening portion 10 to vary the thickness of the flange 24. Consequently, stable bonding with the double-sided adhesive tape may not be effected. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, at a corner of the flange 24, the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is not curved uniformly in its widthwise direction so as not to be bonded to the corner of the flange 24 favorably. Consequently, the double-sided adhesive tape 58 may peel off the corner of the flange 24.
To solve this disadvantage, it has been proposed to bond the double-sided adhesive tape 58 not to the flange 24 but to a flat part 66 defined by the outer body panel 26 which bends outwardly of the flange 24.
In the door opening portion 10 along a front pillar above the door belt line, ex., there is the flat part suited to bond the double-sided adhesive tape, but, under the door belt line, the outer body panel 26 extends vertically without bending. So, under the door belt line, as shown in FIG. 4, the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is bonded to the flange 24 or the outer body panel 26 extending vertically of the flange 24.
In still another example, the door opening trim weather strip is formed to have an L-shaped cross-section, and a tubular seal portion composed of a sponge rubber is formed along one end of the L-shaped door opening trim weather strip. The tubular seal portion thus arranged is attached to the door opening portion using a clip and a double-sided adhesive tape (See Publication of unexamined Japanese utility model application No. Hei5-86714, ex.).
In this example, the soft tubular seal portion is secured to the door opening portion so that the door opening trim weather strip cannot be attached stably. And the tubular seal portion composed of the sponge rubber must be formed to conform to the configuration of the door opening portion so that where the configuration of the door opening portion varies, and where the thickness of the flange varies, the tubular seal portion cannot be secured to the door opening portion favorably.